


ch 4: the rescue

by rogueonestan



Series: When Our Paths Cross [5]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bounty Hunters, Business Trip, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Minor Violence, Partners to Lovers, Some Fluff, Some Humor, Some softness, The Mandalorian (TV) Spoilers, Violence, business partners to friends to overs au, idk - Freeform, just describing the fight scenes from 1x03 (like the safe house and the guild fights), saving baby yoda, theres a small amount but not very descriptive
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-26
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-17 01:08:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29709333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rogueonestan/pseuds/rogueonestan
Summary: after successfully retrieving and bringing back the asset to the Empire's hands, both you and the Mandalorian question whether it's best to move on or if you just made the biggest mistake of your life.
Relationships: Baby Yoda & Din Djarin, Baby Yoda & The Mandalorian, Din Djarin & Reader, Din Djarin/Original Female Character(s), Din Djarin/Reader, Din Djarin/You, Grogu | Baby Yoda & Everyone, f!reader and baby yoda
Series: When Our Paths Cross [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2138634
Kudos: 5





	ch 4: the rescue

**Author's Note:**

> ao3 has been acting weird for me lately so i can't have the layout that i want (like making words italicized) so sorry in advance. but i hope you enjoy it regardless, she's a long one

“Come on up, little guy.” You say to the baby that’s currently tugging at the end of your pants as Mando prepares for the Crest to leave Arvala-7’s atmosphere. As soon as he’s secured in the crook of your arms, the little one lets out a happy coo. Laughter fills the room as you gently bounce the baby in your arms. You can’t help but laugh as well. You know that your time with the strange little baby is coming to an end very soon, but you can’t help but give in to his demands of getting attention from you. It’ll break your heart to say goodbye after knowing him for such a short amount of time.   
But right now isn’t the time for sadness- it can wait when you two part ways for good.   
Instead, you let the baby’s natural behavior lift your spirits. He continues to giggle in response when you tickle his stomach with a free hand. Your actions don't go unnoticed though, because once the ship takes off, Mando turns around in his chair and witnesses the interaction. When you break your attention away from the baby, you see Mando’s visor is tilting at you.   
“I know what you’re going to say, but how could you say no to him?” You say as you lift the baby from your arms and show him off to the stoic man in front of you, letting the baby work his magic. The baby lets out a small coo as he reaches out towards the man in front of him, who doesn’t move in response.   
One major habit that you’ve developed since joining the Guild is to never grow an attachment to a target, but when his owl-like eyes look into yours, you can’t help but feel that you need to protect him at all costs- like it’s your duty to do so. You tell yourself that of course you need to, it’s part of the job, but another part of you, the one that feels a connection to him, tells you that it’s so much more than that.   
Separation at this point is inevitable, but there’s also that shadow of doubt that what if you didn’t have to. What if you were able to protect the baby from any threats. What if you could find him a safe place to live like the settlement you found on Arvala-7? What if you could bring some good into this galaxy instead of giving into the bad?  
“You know that you can’t grow attached to it.” You hear Mando’s voice say as he brings you out of your thoughts.   
“I know,” You whisper, “but there’s just something about him...” You trail off.   
Your eyes glance down at the now sleeping baby in your arms as you smile fondly at him. Even asleep, you’re mesmerized by the child in your arms.   
The light snores that escape his lips brings you a feeling of peace. You can’t help but have the worries that were once running a mile a minute take a backseat as you admire the baby in your arms.   
With all of your attention solely on the child that’s tightly secured in your arms, you don’t take notice of how Mando’s helmet begins to tilts to the side as he admires the interaction before him. Ever since he entered that room with you back on Nevarro and saw the four stormtroopers guarding the older man, he knew immediately that something was off about all of this. Not only did the big reward raise his eyebrows, but the vague information that was provided did as well. In all of the years of being a bounty hunter, Mando’s had his fair share of vague and mysterious bounties but he knew that something was wrong about all this. Even seeing how nervous you were in that room just confirmed his suspicions.   
And seeing the baby for the first time was the final confirmation that he needed. He doesn’t know for what reason the Empire is so desperate for having this child in their hands, but nothing good can come from it. Who knows for what reasons they would want a young child in their custody. But there’s nothing that he can do about it. He already agreed to bring the kid back. Plus, he needs the reward in order to continue providing you properly as he has ever since he took you on as a crew member.   
If he didn’t keep his word, his reputation of being the most feared bounty hunter in the entire parsec would be tarnished. Not that he really cares about that anyway, no, but he would no longer be a man of honor. Something that he takes very seriously since it’s one of the most important aspects of the code that he lives by- by the way he was raised. It’s not like he wants to be responsible for bringing an innocent child into the arms of the Empire, he doesn’t, but he also doesn’t really have any other choice.   
Guilt pangs at his chest as he sees how happy the baby has made you ever since you two met.   
Ever since you first glanced your eyes in the pram, your behavior has been different- more carefree. In all of the months that Mando has been working with you, he’s never seen you this content before. Usually, he only sees you smile or hears you laugh for a moment when you made some offhand comment about something- never about something that he said or done.  
Even though he’s only known you for a short period of time, there’s something about you that’s different. When he first met you during a job for the Guild, he just knew that he could trust you. He didn’t want to believe it at first, but after seeing you in action a few times, he knew that he could trust you. He’s grateful that you accepted his offer to be partners.   
Because without you, he wouldn’t have been able to find some sort of purpose. Before you, his days were beginning to mush together- receive a bounty puck, travel to some planet, bring back the bounty, and repeat. But with you around, you help his days seem more lively. The offhand comments that you’ve made into a habit always brightens up his day. He may not visibly show it, but he appreciates the way that you’ve been getting more comfortable in his presence- not holding back what you want to say or how you feel.   
As he sees the fond smile on your face, he’s determined to melt your smile like that one day- maybe even show you the covert sometime. But first, he needs to get you three to Nevarro.

The loud monitor beeping is what wakes Mando up after he accidentally fell asleep. With how quiet it got in the cockpit, it was easy for him to begin to drift off. As he messes with a few buttons on the consoles to prepare for landing the Crest, you’re now beginning to stir awake. Like Mando, you don’t even remember drifting off. The last thing you remember is holding the baby in your arms as you watched him drift off to sleep. But as you glance out the window to your right, the familiar sighting of Nevarro enters your plain of view. As you glance down at the bundle in your arms, the baby is still blissfully asleep, unaware of what will happen to him within the next couple of minutes.   
As much as you hate to admit it, the time has come to parts ways with the baby. A heavy feeling resides in your chest as the feeling of the Crest beginning to land is felt throughout the entire ship. The last thing that you want to do is to give an innocent child into the hands of the Empire but you have no choice- when you agreed to be Mando’s business partner, you agreed to stand by side no matter what. There have been times where you didn’t agree with Mando’s actions, like this one, but you’re still loyal to him. You know that in the end, he knows best.  
“We’re here.” Mando says as he gets up from his seat to make his way to the hull, but not before he grabs his pulse rifle that’s to his immediate left when he exits the cockpit.   
“It’s time to go, little one.” You say with sadness in your voice. It’s so weird to think that you’ve gotten attached to another being in such a short amount of time. It only makes it that much harder to say goodbye and that’s exactly why you follow a strict rule of not getting close to those you just met, but with this little one, it’s so hard not to. With the way he coos at you affectionately or the way his big, brown eyes look at you, it’s hard for your heart not to melt at the spot.  
As you stand up to put him back in his pram, his little hands reach out towards the clear crystal that’s resting on your chest, the same response he had when you both shared a connection of your past memories last night. You still don’t know what happened when his hand touched your arm, or even why it happened, but you do know that for some reason, the baby has some sort of pull towards the object. Maybe it’s the reason why you first felt a pull towards him when you first met on Arvala-7.   
When you gently place the baby inside the pram, guilt immediately fills your system. ‘There’s no turning back now,’ you tell yourself as you begin to descend to the lower level of the ship, with the pram following closely behind.  
“You ready to go?” You hear a modulated voice ask you as your feet hit the metal ground beneath you.   
Nodding your head in response, you grab your bag and blaster that’s currently residing on the floor when you placed them there after fully repairing the Crest when the Jawas stripped the ship clean. Pressing the button that releases the hatch door, both you and Mando begin to make your way into the town that you’ve familiarized yourself with for the past year or so.   
The familiar scents of food that are being cooked in the center of the town don’t even put your nerves at ease. Usually arriving back to Nevarro means that you can feel safe, at home, but for some reason, you don’t feel that way. You feel out of place, like you don’t belong here. You can’t put the feeling into words but something seems different about this trip. Maybe it’s the guilt eating at you. Maybe it's a warning sign that the tide of an upcoming wave is about to come crashing down. You just don’t realize how on the nose you are during the moment.   
As you make your way past the market that’s in the middle of town and further away from everyone, the more your gut tells you to turn back- like before. You knew at first that accepting this job was bad news and you feel it more now than ever. There’s no turning back now.   
It’s not long after that you arrive back at the building that you dread- where the baby will part ways from you. As Mando knocks on the heavy door and waits for reentry, you hear a soft coo next to you. The baby’s ears are dropped lower than you’ve ever seen them before. So he feels the same way.  
You’re about to protest about how maybe this isn’t such a great idea after all when two stormtroopers greet you. You didn’t think the knot in your stomach could get any tighter, but it feels as if someone has a rope around you and their grip only gets tighter with each passing second. The uneasiness you feel only increases as the two troopers escort you and Mando back to the room where everything began.   
As you begin to walk down the short hallway, the knot in your stomach seems to get impossibly tighter. You walk close to your partner’s side in a vain attempt to try to ease your nerves before the meeting occurs and Mando seems to take notice because whenever his visor isn’t focused on the pram next to him, he’s glancing over his shoulder to make sure you’re alright. His visor meeting your gaze brings a small comfort to you when you see how close one of the troopers is to the child.   
Entering the same room where it all began doesn’t help to ease either your’s or Mando’s nerves. The same two men as before approach the pram to take vital signs, confirming that the baby is indeed healthy and alive. The knot in your stomach as tight as it ever has been.  
When the camtono of beskar opens up, your partner is already intrigued by it, immediately leaving your side as you stayed behind.  
“Such a large bounty for such a small package.” The older man says as the younger one begins to bring the pram into a separate room. The moment the door shuts behind the pram, you feel your heartstrings beginning to pull at you. A deep sigh heaving out of your lips. It pains you to see the little one go but you remind yourself that it’s part of the job. There’s nothing you can do about it.  
“What are your plans for it?” Your attention is suddenly brought back to your partner as he asks the question that’s been on your mind for days but you didn’t dare to ask it out loud- as it is one of the most important rules of the Guild. Never ask questions.   
In all of the months that you’ve known Mando, he’s never been one to break any of the rules that are mandated by your boss, especially one as important as to never ask questions. Every time you ask questions, it’s in the comfort of the Crest as you depart for another bounty, never in the face of authority.   
Rather than answering the question, the man retaliates by mentioning the slaughter of his people, “finding a Mandalorian in these trying times is more difficult than finding the steel.” With one of his fists balled up at his side, his entire body stiff, the older man hit a sensitive spot within the Mandalorian- a subject he shouldn’t be so willing to talk about, but mentions its willingly in front of the beskar-cladded warrior.   
Without saying anything in response, Mando turns away from the older man, motioning for you to follow him with a wave of his hand as you both exit out of the safehouse. You’ve never felt so relieved to get out of anywhere sooner.   
“As much as I hate to admit it, he’s right about one thing,” you begin as Mando tilts his helmet at you, “the beskar does belong back in the hands of the Mandalorians.”   
“You deserve some of it as well,” You shake your head in disagreement, “you helped capture the bounty, it’s only fair-“  
“It’s been far too long since it’s been back in the hands of your people. It’s not much, but it’s a start.”   
With a nod of his head, Mando lets out a choked ‘thank you’ as you’re unaware of how true your words ring.   
“Your people would benefit from it much more than I ever could have.” Mando only nods back at you again, “I’ll meet up with you later at the cantina.” You say as you leave Mando alone with his camtono of beskar.   
Watching you leave, Mando is still speechless. In all of his years of roaming the galaxy, he’s never heard an outsider speak so highly of his people. Every time someone speaks of his people, it’s almost always of ill intent, never warmly. He got used to people seeing Mandalorians as ruthless warriors- never more. With how you spoke, you recognize the importance armor has in Mandalorian culture but it’s also so much more than that. Your knowledge of Mandalorian society may be limited but you’re always willing to learn more about it, and that is evident by how you’re always asking Mando about his creed. Never with ill intentions, but just curiosity.  
As he makes his way back into town, the only thought that’s on his mind is the amount of respect you have not only for him but for his people as well. Those who he passed may not be able to see it, but a big smile is on his face as he heads in the direction of the hidden covert.   
As he enters the halls of the covert, your words continue to ring through his head. Maybe he could bring you down here one day and introduce you to his fellow Mandalorians. He was afraid to in the past, but now he knows the high regard you put his people in. 

As he gets further into the covert, he doesn’t take notice of the attention he’s gathering because your words are still playing on a loop in his head. As always, the other Mandalorians that remain in the covert are polishing their weapons or conversing with one another, but as Mando passes them with a camtono in his hand, they begin to lurk behind him, curious as to what he’s provided for them this time.  
Unlike before, the Armorer is already waiting patiently for him at the table when he enters the room. Without saying anything, Mando shows her what’s inside the container: a plethora of beskar. The woman in front of him is surprised at what she’s seeing right before her eyes. It’s been so long since she’s seen such a great amount of beskar, even if it was a gift from the Empire. The gold-helmeted warrior admires the steel as she picks up a handful.   
The beskar doesn’t only catch her attention but others as well as a few Mandalorians make their way into the armory.   
The woman states how she can create another suit of armor as his original has suffered through immense damage and how the new armor will draw many eyes, as it has already gained the attention of several other Mandalorians as he passed the halls moments ago.   
One Mandalorian in particular, a heavy infantry, notices where the beskar has come from and scolds Mando for associating himself with the people responsible for the slaughter of their people- calling him a coward for accepting a job from them and accepting the reward. The bigger man even tries to provoke him, successfully at that, as the two spar with the vibroknives they have at their disposal. With both of their knives at each other’s throats, the Armorer is the one to make peace between them, stating how no matter where the beskar came from, it is right that it has returned to its rightful owners. The rest of the Mandalorians agree, saying their motto, ‘this is the Way,’ as both men put down their weapons.   
It’s not long after the altercation that the Armorer begins crafting Mando’s new suit of armor. Like before, every time there’s a loud bang from the armor being crafted, Mando is vividly reminded of his traumatic beginnings. The sounds of his village being attacked, the screamings coming from all around him as everyone panics. Unlike how he was that day, Mando sits perfectly still as he waits for his armor to be fully crafted. The horrid screams echo inside his head as the room he’s actually sitting in is quiet, minus from the loud BANGS that come from completing one piece of his armor. It would be easier for Mando to wait in another room as the Armorer does her job, but Mando never leaves. He doesn’t leave because it’s his responsibility to stay and watch the creation of his armor- even if it brings back the memories that still haunt him at night. The recollection of past memories is only temporary. 

While this is all happening, you’re slowly making your way towards the cantina, just like you told Mando you would. Usually, scrolling past the merchants would bring you joy, but not this time. Ever since landing on Nevarro, the knot in your stomach has never faded away, only becoming more and more prominent the longer you’re here. You thought arriving back on Nevarro made you feel sick to your stomach because you were bringing in an innocent child, but the sick feeling has never gone away. You thought being in town would help ease your nerves, but it hasn’t. A few items at various boutiques have interested you but not enough to get your mind off of the baby. His big eyes bore themselves into your mind. The sound of his coos replaying in your head like a broken record. Even being departed from him for a short while, the little one has managed to eat up your thoughts. You just hope that this feeling goes away soon.  
You eventually make your way into the cantina where every bounty hunter’s eyes are on you. It’s not unusual for you to gain attention whenever you return back with Mando for another job, but everyone stops what they’re doing to get a glimpse at you. As you tightly grasp at the bag strap that resides on your side, you take in a deep breath as you approach the table that Greef Karga is sitting at.   
Once he sees you, he quickly dismisses the hunter that he was previously engaging with as he lets out a belly laugh, “one of my favorite hunters has returned!” He exclaims as everyone else in the cantina continues on with their business, “please, have a seat! Let us celebrate!” He says as you take your usual spot, leaving enough room for when your partner returns, “what will you be having?”   
You begin to decline, insisting that he doesn’t have to buy a drink, but Karga immediately shuts down your words, “come on, you deserve it after helping Mando capture the biggest bounty in this parsec. What're you having?”  
You stutter out a few ‘um’s and ‘uh’s as you glance at the colorful liquid that’s behind the counter, “whatever you’re having.” Karga hollers at the bartender for another splash of something that you can’t pronounce as he gives you his undivided attention.  
“What are you going to do with your half?” He asks you as he pulls out a sliver of beskar from underneath his vest, “I’m rich as well.”   
“Oh, I didn’t keep any-“  
“Why not?”  
“Because I thought Mando would get more use out of it. I wouldn’t even know what to do with all of that beskar if I kept it. Plus, it belongs back with his people after everything they’ve been through.”   
“Huh.” Karga lets out as someone brings a cup full of the colorful liquid.   
When you pick up your cup to take a sip of it, suddenly the cantina doors open themselves up as another person enters the place. Similar to the reaction you got earlier, everyone drops what they’re doing to look at the person who just entered. Just as you turn around to see who’s gaining so much attention, you feel your heart getting caught in your throat as you see your partner strutting in with his new armor: newly crafted by the reward you received earlier that day.   
“How many of them had tracking fobs?” Mando asks the ex-magistrate, the second time today he has broken the Guild code by asking questions about the bounty you just turned in.  
The man doesn’t seem that surprised by his question, only letting out a scoff, and telling Mando that only his two best hunters would be able to complete this job, saying, “ I always knew that you could do it.”  
The man shows the same polite gesture as he showed you, asking Mando how he can show his gratitude, only for Mando to say plainly how he wants his next job- very persistently. For as long as you’ve known him, Mando has never been the type to take a break or to just sit around- always on the move. Maybe that’s the warrior side of him. Maybe he doesn’t want to stay in one place for too long because that’s when his thoughts begin to consume him. You don’t know why, but he’s never been the one to relax for as long as you’ve known him.   
Karga eventually gives in, letting the pair of you choose your next bounty, which happens to be just another bail jumper. At least it’ll keep your mind off of things for a little bit. When Mando presses the button to reveal your next target, his visor glances at you, seeking your approval, like he always does. With the nod of your head, Mando quickly pockets the puck as he stands up waiting for you to follow suit. One thing you’ve always admired Mando as a partner is that even though he may not be the easiest person to work with at times, he always seeks your approval whenever you work together.   
As you stand up to follow him out of the cantina, Mando breaks the Code for the third time today by asking what the Imperials are going to do with the baby, only for Karga to avoid the question, yet again, stating that asking questions is against the Guild Code. With a deep sigh, Mando motions that it’s time for you guys to leave. Saying a quick farewell, you follow closely behind your partner as you make your way back to the ship, with the kid still on your mind.   
Pressing the button to close the hatch door behind you, you let out a deep sigh that you didn’t know that you were holding in. Today has definitely been one of the longer ones you’ve experienced in a long time. You drop your bag on the floor in its usual spot as you make your way to the cockpit, sitting in your usual seat, waiting to get away for a little bit of time on a planet far, far away.  
With Mando manning the control, beginning his routine of starting up the ship, one thought that hasn’t been able to stop repeating itself in your mind, “did we do the right thing?” Mando’s movements immediately halt as you continue, “I mean- I know it’s the Guild Code and everything, but was it right? There’s definitely something more going on in that place than we were told. If there’s one Imperial officer, then who knows how many more that are involved.” As you look over at him, you see how Mando’s visor is now looking at you, slightly tilted as always, “oh, I’m sorry. I’m fine. Continue.” You say as you gesture at the buttons that his fingers are hovering over.  
If it wasn’t so quiet, you wouldn’t have been able to hear the quiet, ‘you’re right,’ that comes from his modulator, almost as if he’s admitting it to himself for the first time, “there is something more that’s happening.” And with that, Mando rapidly gets up from his seat as he immediately heads downstairs with you following closely behind.  
When you descend from the ladder, you find him already loading himself up with more weapons, “what are you doing? Are we going to do something about it?”  
“We aren’t doing anything. You don’t have to do this with me. You can back out.”   
You quickly decline this out, shaking your head at him, “when I agreed to be your partner, I meant all the way- not just for bounties. I’m with you ‘til the very end, no matter what.”   
“Good. I’m glad to hear you say that.”   
As you see him continuing to reload, you ask him what the plan is, “I’m gonna go get the kid back while you stay back and guard the ship.”  
You can’t help but let out a groan, “why am I always the one guarding the ship?”  
“It’s too dangerous for the both of us to go, so I need you to stay here in case something bad happens. Plus, I need to make sure you’re safe and the ship is the safest place.”  
A set of butterflies fly in your stomach at his confession. In all of the time you’ve worked together, he’s never admitted any sort of feelings or attachment towards you before, going beyond a relationship that’s solely a professional one. You can think about this later, the two of you need to make a plan and quick.   
“And if something does?”   
“You take the ship and leave.”  
“I’m not leaving you behind.”   
“This is the Way.” He responds as you groan at him, as he’s making his way towards the hatch door.  
“Wouldn’t it be less noticeable if we both went into town? I could be a lookout if something goes wrong.”  
“And we’ll both be caught. Guard the ship.” He says as he leaves no room for argument, descending down the ramp as you watch him walk back into the town.   
Once he leaves, the familiar knot in your stomach returns. You can’t help but feel as if something bad is on the horizon. You know Mando is more than capable of handling himself, but this is something so much bigger than him. If there’s an ex-Imperial officer involved, who knows how far up this goes. As much as you want to follow Mando’s footsteps and aid in the rescue, you know that this is something he needs to do on his own. You can’t imagine the hell that he’s been through in his life. Maybe this can be the first step towards making things right for one person. Instead of taking their life, he can help save one.  
So, you wait for his return. Sliding down against the wall that you’re leaning against, you glance out the hatch door that’s still ajar, waiting for your partner to return.   
As Mando makes his way back to the safehouse, making sure there aren’t any prying eyes on him by looking over his shoulder every now and again, the conversation he had with you earlier rings through his head. Your questions of doubt repeat in his head. If there’s one Imperial officer, who knows how many more rank above him? And what would they want to do with a baby that small and young? What’s so important about that baby that they had every Guild hunter looking for him? Thoughts like these are what accompany Mando as he stands in front of the door where it all began.   
These concerns of yours from the very beginning turned out to be quite valid because as Mando eavesdrops on the conversation between the two men from earlier, their conversation seems to prove your concerns to be correct. Mando doesn’t know how far this goes up, but their conversation is just proof that they have a more sinister intention that they led him to believe. The extremely high price on the baby’s head shows how much danger the green baby is in the longer he’s in their hands. With that in mind, Mando begins to make his way to where everything began.  
Standing in front of the door where he first presented the chit card with you by his side, Mando begins his attack by luring out the two troopers that first greeted you two by creating a distraction. Placing one of the charges from his belt onto the side of the building, he waits for the denotation to finally go off, using the explosive as his disguise as he enters the facility. Alarms immediately become activated as the rest of the troops inside gather to begin their protocol, investigating what could be the source of the sudden attack.   
With each room Mando comes across, there are always at least two stormtroopers patrolling the area, but it isn’t anything that he can’t handle. Mando makes his way deeper and deeper into the facility with ease, none of the troopers posing a threat. However, Mando only gets more aggressive with his attacks as leaves a room. At first, he would only shoot them in the back and move on to the next room, but now, his tactics are more violent: he’ll push a trooper into some boxes, electrocuting another with his rifle, or even shooting them again even though they’re already dead. Seeing the abundance of security only makes Mando even more determined to rescue the kid and return back to you safely.   
Entering the room where they’re holding the baby was easier than Mando thought. With only one guard standing in front of the door and one inside, it was surprisingly easy to confront the man who was performing some sort of test on the baby as he lays unconscious.   
Mando barks out, “what did you do to it?” as the scientist cowers in the corner. The man only insists that he did the baby no harm and that he would be dead if it weren’t for him. As the scientist looks down in fear, pleading for his life over and over, Mando swipes the kid and leaves the room without saying another word.  
Returning to the exit was a bit tougher than when he first entered the premises. With the child secured in his arms, Mando was able to successfully make his way towards the exit until four stormtroopers ambushed him in the room where the transaction occurred. The same four troopers that were present for the meeting have now surrounded him. But before either of them are able to make the first move, Mando fakes a surrender as he crouches to the floor, placing his blaster and the bundled child next to him. A trooper commands Mando to stand up in surrender. He doesn’t. Instead, he activates the whistling birds on the vambrace that was given to him earlier and shoots down the four men instantly.   
With that, Mando is now out of the safehouse and on his way to town, where he can depart in the ship with you and the three of you can be safe for the moment.  
Unknownst to you, the moment that Mando leaves the safehouse is the same moment where every tracking fob on Nevarro becomes activated by an unknown source. As you continue sitting in the hull, something feels off. You’re not sure what but something just doesn’t seem right to you. Making sure that your blaster is still secured in your holster, you walk down the ramp to see if you can notice anything weird happening in town.   
From a distance, you can see multiple figures are huddling into town but it doesn’t seem out of the ordinary. That is, until you hear a faint noise coming from inside the ship. When you make your way towards where you've been sitting for a while now, you rummage through your bag to find the source: the tracking fob. Your heart drops to your stomach as you fear for the worst. You don’t even know where Mando is at this point, if he’s even alive or if he was successful in his rescue mission, but you fear for the worst.   
Without thinking clearly, you quickly pull out your comm that’s also in your bag and frantically tell your partner to return, “I think they’re onto us.”  
As Mando checks his surroundings, he finds that there’s an unusual amount of hunters in town as they begin to follow him as he gets closer and closer to the ship. He can see the outline of the Crest. With the comlink in his hand, he quickly says, “I’ll be there soon” before he quickly puts his comm back in his pocket.   
When his visor glances from his feet to in front of him, his former boss greets him, bellowing out, “welcome back, Mando! Where’s your partner?”  
“Safe.”  
From the ship, you can hear a slight shout, but you’re unsure as to what it is. You trust Mando but if the whole Guild is hunting both you and him, you’re not sure if this is a fight he can win on his own. As much as it pains you, you don’t want to go against his wishes of you aiding him. Even with you by his side, you guys don’t have a fighting chance of making out an altercation alive.   
Hesitating, you’re about to make your way down the ramp and head towards town when the shooting begins. Your worst fears appear in your head. Unsure of what’s happening, you begin to make your way out of the ship as you see flashes of red in the distance and as you pick up your pace, the shooting suddenly stops.   
You can feel the adrenaline making its way through your blood. Out of haste, you comm your partner for a second time, “what’s going on out there?”  
“Stay put.” He demands quickly as his comm is shut off. The sudden lash from him surprises you at first, as he’s never used that tone of voice at you before, even when you’re on a job, but you quickly brush it off as he’s probably in the most stressful and fearful situation he’s ever been in. You make your way back to the ship and just wait.   
As soon as he shuts off his comm, a hunter has already made their way towards Mando, where he kicks them with great force as another ambush takes place. He uses all of the weapons that he has on him: his pulse rifle, his blaster, his flamethrower. He’s able to hold them off temporarily, but once the fire stops comes to a halt, that’s when the hunters continue to close in on him.   
Sighing in defeat, Mando no longer fights back as he shields the child with his body- in case any upcoming blaster fire comes anywhere coming near the young one. As he looks down at the baby, the only thing he could focus on is his eyes. The oncoming blaster fire is toned out as Mando sees how he failed not only the child but you as well. After everything he’s done in his life, after all of the blood that’s on his hands, Mando was hoping that finding a safe place for the kid could be the one thing that he could do. That maybe helping one child could be the beginning of cleaning his hands. But the galaxy has never been kind to him, so why should it start now? ‘So this is how it ends.’ Mando thinks to himself as the blaster fire only increases as the hunters get in closer proximity to him.   
But before all of his hope is stripped from him, the same saviors that helped him the day his village was destroyed, come to help him now when he needs them more than ever. Heavy blaster fire from above rains the town. Dust is in the air as his fellow Mandalorians join in on the fight. How they even got word of it Mando doesn’t know, but he’s grateful that they’ve come to help him.   
As he looks to his left, Mando sees one of the heavy infantries landing on the ground as they shoot out heavy blaster fire, telling Mando to make a run for it as the rest of the covert handles the rest. Both men part ways by saying ‘this is the Way’ to each other as Mando finally makes his way back to you.  
Just when Mando thought the fighting was over and would be able to seek refuge in the ship, a familiar voice stopped him in his tracks. The fight is short-lived as he uses his surroundings to his advantage. Mando is able to shoot his ex-boss where the piece of beskar metal lives. Letting out a deep sigh, he feels like he can finally breathe for the first time since he left you alone on the ship.  
Blaster fire coming from the lower levels of the ship is what makes you get up on your feet and rush from the cockpit to the hull. With your blaster already in your hand, you find that your partner is safe with your new passenger in his arms.   
It’s now your turn to sigh as relief fills your body, “what happened? Are you hurt? Are you alright?”  
“I’m fine, but we need to go.” He says as he offers you the bundle in his arms wordlessly. Gladly accepting it, you follow your partner back up to the cockpit where you find him beginning his routine to get the three out you out of here.  
“What are we gonna do now?”  
“I’m not sure yet, but we need to get out of this system.”   
Nodding your head in agreement, you take a seat behind the pilot’s seat as you wait for take-off. The familiar sensation of the Crest lifting up in the air fills your body with a little bit of relief. The fight is far from over but it’s a start.   
“I’m just glad you’re okay.” You say quietly, mainly to yourself to remind yourself that you’ve both lived another day, glancing down at the baby in your arms.  
“Me too.” Mando says as he glances over his shoulder to look at you, only to find you completely infatuated at the bundle of joy in your arms. Your eyes filled with a tenderness that he’s never seen before. The smile on your face wider than he’s seen. It’s a look that he hopes to see more often by the child’s presence.   
As you look up, Mando’s visor immediately turns back to look at the sky in front of him, but something out of the corner of your eye makes you immediately turn your attention there. A gasp leaves your lips. Gently putting the baby down to avoid waking him, you find a Mandalorian is flying next to the ship as he salutes Mando, immediately flying away.  
Looking over at your partner, your lips parted in surprise, “was that a Mandalorian?” Not realizing that one of your hands has placed itself onto Mando’s shoulder as you glance out the window.   
The sensation of your warm hand fills warmth throughout his entire body. He can’t remember the last time he had someone touch him that didn’t involve a fight or was a part of some business chatter. A casual touch. It’s been so long since he had human contact with someone as a friend, someone he can trust. With you looking into his visor, waiting for an answer, he shakes his head as he focuses on flying, “yeah, there is- was, a Mandalorian covert on Nevarro.”  
“That’s how you escaped- the Mandalorians saved you.” He nods his helmet at you, “and that’s how you got the new armor.”   
If you weren’t listening so closely, you wouldn’t have been able to hear the soft ‘yeah’ that came from his modulator.  
“Is that where you go after each bounty?”  
“Yeah.”  
I always thought you were visiting someone special or something.”  
“Like a riduur?” He asks as he looks over at you, only to find your head is tilted to the side with your brows furrowed, wrinkles on your nose as you scrunch up your face at the term, “it’s a Mandalorian term for a spouse.”  
“Oh.” You finally realize that your hand is on his shoulder when the feeling of his hand on top of yours is felt throughout your entire body. The smile on your face from earlier begins to make its return as he keeps his hand there, “no, I don’t have a riduur.”   
The feeling of his hand on top of you distracts you from the effect he has on you, muttering out a, ‘yeah, me neither’ as you make your way back to your seat, taking the baby back in your arms.  
You don’t want to look too deep into Mando’s actions. It’s just the adrenaline running through his body after everything he went through today you tell yourself, unknowing of the effects that your actions had on him just moments before.  
The events of the day have taken a heavy toll on you as it becomes difficult to stay awake as the three of you travel in silence. Every once in a while, the baby in your arms will let out a quiet snore. Although the sight itself is absolutely adorable, it doesn’t make it any easier to stay awake.  
“What’s our next plan?” You ask as a yawn manages to escape from your lips. If you weren’t so damn tired, you would’ve been able to catch the chuckle that came from your partner, but all of your energy is focused on not passing out in your seat.   
“We’ll just travel sublight and seek shelter at a neighboring system and go on from there.”  
“Okay, and what’s the-“  
“Don’t worry about it.” He says as his seats swerves around to face you, “just go get some sleep.”   
“But-“  
“Go sleep. I’ll watch the kid.”  
“Are you sure?”  
“It’s a baby, not a cure for some terminal disease.” His comment brings out a small chuckle from you even in your dazed state. It’s the first time that your partner seems looser around you. In all of the time you’ve known him, he’s been strictly professional, never speaking unless it was necessary. You can get used to seeing this side of him.   
As soon as you leave him alone with the baby in the cockpit, Mando lets out a deep breath that he was apparently holding in. He wasn’t aware of the effect you’ve managed to begin to have on him. Glancing at the baby that’s sleeping where you were just sitting, Mando can’t help but feel like this is the beginning of something good happening.


End file.
